My humblest apologies. Forgot that a picture is worth a thousand words. God knows how we survived before the camera!
@Sky Six @jimmy six Hello, The last time my wife and I drove by this north Surfside, CA location, was in 2019. It was part of our coming home road trip from Northern California and the border area of Oregon coastlines. By the time we got here, we were going to stop to say hello to some people that bought houses here back when we were 20s. We were also in that group that was going to buy a two story duplex, while it was available and not too expensive for us. But, the owner, was someone we did not get along with and she demanded she carry the “papers” for 30 years of the mortgage. At the time we did not know we could refinance later on, we thought it was a one time deal with the original owner. But our friends bought a different small beach cottage and still live in it today. The road shown in the photo was at the time in Surfside, California. Not a city and not connected to any neighboring city. But, eventually, Seal Beach grabbed Surfside to spread its city borders to the South. The locals still call it Surfside Colony. It was and still is a very quiet, fairly empty, beach at all days of the year. Due to the fact that you have to know someone to come into the gated community. If one wanted to park near the giant water tower that is now a rental home, then yes, you could walk to the empty sands as the beach is public. Jnaki The other side of the PCH highway is the famous Kanvas By Katin Surf Shop and clothing company. We have had plenty of trunks made by Nancy Katin, the original owner. My last set of trunks was in 1969 and in 2003, gave them away to a friend who was “into” collectible items from past history. But, as we drove in 2019 down PCH, the area still has the original location of the old Kanvas By Katin store. The new owners have updated the building and the area surrounding the shop is pretty well built up. Back in 1959-60 a famous surf board maker had his shop (Surfboards by Crow) behind the Katin Shop and made custom shapes with techniques way beyond anyone else. But, he was a one man business, shape, sand, glass, sand fiberglass/resin, finish each board to perfection and sell to friends. All done behind his waterfront shop. That business is gone and so are the building along that side of the PCH roadway. They have been replaced with a motel and a new boat sales shop next to a building that is a copy of the old blue building that was once next to a boat building/sales shop. But the new building houses a fancy name coffee shop among other businesses. The location is almost in the same place as the boat shop. Note: Our dad went to the boat shop next to the old blue building so he could look at several small outboard motor powered skiffs. He wanted to try fishing inside of the jetties as he did like surf fishing just up the beach in Huntington Beach. He also knew several of his friends that said the fishing under the overhead PCH bridge leading from Seal Beach to Surfside was a good place to fish. But parking was not available due to government property. So, the only way to get access to the fish was by boat. Note 2: My brother and I were laughing at the idea that our dad would launch the boat and cruise around fishing from the inland water ways. We laughed because that boat shop was named Cruzon for cruising … No, he did not buy a small boat. Although we always saw his Mercury Outboard sitting in its cradle in our Westside of Long Beach, hot rod building backyard shop. It was in “his” corner… YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
